Novel leads to love of dish

6:11 PM,
Aug. 21, 2012

Turkey tonnata

Written by

Polly Campbell

I was first attracted to this vitello tonnata by its name. I came across it in a novel, in which someone was eating it and drinking white wine on a terrace. I was immediately romantically infatuated with it, though I did not yet know what the dish actually was.

Once I found the recipe in Marcella Hazan's "The Classic Italian Cookbook" and tried it, I was really in love. Now I make it once or twice a summer. It could be a family meal - it's not hard if you plan ahead.

The classic dish is roasted veal, sliced and covered with a sauce of pureed tuna mayonnaise, with capers and lots of lemon. I use poached turkey ...